A Portland man was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Portland to 16 years in prison for drug trafficking and for sexually exploiting a 14-year-old child he met online.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced 32-year-old Sebastian Demers to 15 years on the child exploitation count, and one year on the drug trafficking count, with the sentences to be served consecutively followed by 10 years of supervised release.
Demers was also ordered to pay the victim and the victim’s family $15,843.27 in restitution.
He pleaded guilty on Dec. 9, 2022.
According to court records, Demers befriended a 14-year-old child online in November 2020, and began engaging in illegal sexual contact with the victim.
Federal prosecutors alleged that Demers continued to pressure the victim to see him, and threatened to harm the victim and the victim’s family if the victim did not comply — even after the victim’s parents obtained a protection order against him.
Investigators discovered sexually explicit photos and videos of the victim on Demers’ cell phone, according to court records.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine stated Tuesday that Demers plied the victim with alcohol and drugs, and told the victim that he sold drugs.
In April 2022, federal agents discovered cocaine and other evidence of drug trafficking when executing a search warrant at Demers’ residence.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations and the Portland Police Department.
